Verity Firth

Verity Firth is the Executive Director, Social Justice at the University of Technology Sydney.

Ms Firth has over ten years’ experience at the highest levels of government and the not for profit sector in Australia. Over the last decade she has been working in the Australian education sector, first as Minister for Education and Training in New South Wales (2008-2011) and then as the Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation.

As Minister for Education and Training she focussed on equity in education, and how to best address educational disadvantage in low socio economic communities, including rural and remote indigenous communities.

As NSW Minister for Women (2007-2009) Ms Firth implemented sector wide strategies to improve women’s recruitment, development and employment in the NSW public sector.

As Chief Executive of the Public Education Foundation (2011-2014), Ms Firth led the Foundation's transformation from a fledgling organisation into a major provider of scholarships and support to public education. She also helped the sector negotiate $5 million in seed funding for a new charity for disadvantaged schools.

Ms Firth was the Member for the state seat of Balmain from 2007 - 2011. Before her parliamentary career, Ms Firth worked as a lawyer and was Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.

Ms Firth is a Director of the McKell Institute and a Commissioner on the Chifley Institute’s Inclusive Prosperity Commission.

She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) Administrative Committee.